R6.263 – The Yvonne Aitken Bursary for Honours Students of the Faculty of Land and Food Resources

View/Print PDF (13 KB)

Recitals –

1. The late Yvonne Aitken AM, BAgrSc (Melb.), MAgrSc (Melb.), DAgrSc (Melb.), formerly of 7/92 The Avenue, Parkville in Victoria, gentlewoman (‘the testatrix’), who died in 2004, by her will dated 18 June 1993 (‘the will’) provided-

‘…TO PAY OR TRANSFER one of such parts or shares to the FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, Melbourne University for its Scholarship Fund.’

2. The testatrix was, until her retirement in 1975, a senior lecturer in plant science at the University, whose publications focussed on the genetic and environmental factors controlling plant flowering time in agricultural plants in Australia. She was also Vice-Principal of Janet Clarke Hall.
3. The faculty of Agriculture and Forestry merged with the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture on 1 July 1997 to become the Institute of Land and Food Resources. The Institute was renamed the faculty of Land and Food Resources (‘the faculty’) on 1 January 2005. The faculty has no general ‘Scholarship Fund’, but if such a fund is established in future, the money bequeathed by the testatrix will be added to it. In the interim, at its meeting 11/05 on 8 December 2005, Academic Board approved the establishment of ‘The Yvonne Aitken Bursary for Honours Students of the Faculty of Land and Food Resources’.

4. In 2005 the University received the sum of $49,374.24 in satisfaction of the bequest from the estate of the testatrix, and in 2006 received the further sum of $699.46 from the estate in satisfaction of the bequest.

5. At 6 June 2008, the amount of the fund was $47,984.17.

It is provided as follows-

1. The sum of $47,984.17, and any accumulations and additions to the sum, forms a fund called ‘The Yvonne Aitken Bursary for Honours Students of the Faculty of Land and Food Resources’ (‘the fund’) and the fund must be paid into an investment pool and remain there until Council directs otherwise.
2. Until the University establishes a ‘Scholarship Fund’ in the faculty or until the further determination of the University, the net annual income of the fund is to be used to provide one or more bursaries, each of which is to be known as ‘The Yvonne Aitken Bursary for Honours Students of the Faculty of Land and Food Resources’ (‘the bursary’) to be awarded-
   
   1. annually by Council on the recommendation of the dean of the faculty (‘the dean’);
   2. to honours students enrolled in the faculty; and
   3. principally on the basis of academic merit over the undergraduate course undertaken by the students, but considering financial need where necessary.